Airplane Etiquette 101

As a business owner and consultant for a large company I have the pleasure of traveling to a lot of different places. This translates to a lot of time in the air flying! One thing I’ve noticed recently is just how many people don’t seem to understand basic airplane etiquette so I decided to write an airplane etiquette 101 post in hopes that I can make all our flights a little more pleasant in the future! 😛

Don’t Be “That” Drunk Guy!

My favorite thing to do while flying is catch up on my reading. My second favorite thing is to enjoy a cocktail or beer while I’m reading! I get it, I really do! There is just something about killing time with a drink or two while in flight, however, when you start at the airport bar and continue drinking once on the plane a drink or two can quickly turn in to five or six!

What typically follows is a person who is causing disruptions for the entire plane. Have a couple drinks, just don’t go overboard!

Be Mindful of Your Cologne!

There is nothing worse than sitting next to someone on a plane that smells like they haven’t taken a shower in over a week…unless of course you sit next to someone that smells like they dumped an entire bottle of cologne on themselves.

I’m not against cologne at all, in face, I am constantly searching for a new smell I enjoy. Just be mindful of how much you are putting on before boarding a flight and your fellow travelers will thank you!

Don’t Touch The Flight Attendants!

This one doesn’t really bother me, but it’s a complaint I hear from a lot of Flight Attendants on flights. You should never pull, poke, or tug on any of your flight attendants while traveling. They are doing their best to accommodate all passengers on the flight and aren’t always able to immediately respond to every little whim you may have.

If you’re having an emergency or really need assistance immediately, use your call light! It’s what it’s there for!

Overweight?

I’ll try to put this one as delicately as possible. Being overweight is your choice and I could care less whether you are or aren’t. Weight would never cause me to mistreat or think negatively of someone. With that said, if you’re severely overweight, pay for an upgrade!

Don’t try to cram yourself in to seats that are already small for the majority of normal passengers. Pay the extra money to book yourself a seat that will give you more space so you aren’t spilling over in to someone else’s seat!

I paid for my own seat. I’d like to not share it!

Control Your Kids

Being a parent is tough. On a flight where your kids don’t have much to do for a couple hours…even tougher. Your kids are still your kids. As frustrated or as hairless as you may be, only you can control your kids.

That’s all I’ll say on that subject! 😉

Be Mindful of The Person Stuck in The Middle!

On flights that have three seats next to each other, remember to be mindful of the person stuck in the middle. Airplane Etiquette dictates that middle person should get access to both armrests as the aisle person has the best seat for getting up and out and the window seat has the best view.

It’s never fun being stuck in the middle of two people in seats already designed to be too small. Go easy on them!

Summary

Flying can be a pain in the ass, don’t make it more of a pain by not being mindful of others on the flight with you! A little hospitality and manners go a long way when it comes to flying, use them!